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Arts & Literature

Writer Cheryl Blackford of North Oaks awaits the May 1 publication of “Hungry Coyote,” her children’s picture book about a year in the life of an urban coyote. (courtesy Jessie DeCorsey)

North Oaks author's book to be released May 1

On one of her many walks through the woods near her North Oaks home, author Cheryl Blackford saw a "lone coyote trotting across the frozen lake" and wondered how it lived successfully so close to an urban area.

Blackford says she walks outside almost every day, regardless of the weather. It's her thinking time for writing stories, including imagining the setting for her newly published children's picture book, "Hungry Coyote," a story about a year in the life of an urban coyote.

Participants sought for two-year journey of learning
History buffs in the east metro will have a unique opportunity to explore American history from pre-colonial times to the present as part of a new book club.
The Oakdale Library is forming an American history book club that will embark on a two-year quest to answer: "How did the United States develop into the country that we live today?"

Mike Wilke, writer and illustrator for Cornerstone Stories, says his favorite fable he’s done is “The Bearded Fool,” a story about a man who decides to burn part of his beard off after reading that all men with long beards are fools. “I did relate to it,” Wilke laughs. (Kaylin Creason/Review)

Political cartoonist Mike Wilke, 58, has been drawing for most of his life, but he’s never done anything like this. For the past year, Wilke has been illustrating fables for children’s books.

Roseville author Mary Clare Lockman recently won a Midwest Book Award in the young adult fiction category for her 2013 novel, “They’re Always With You.”

A decade ago, a one-page writing assignment inspired a student to write a book. The student spent years gathering information, writing, rewriting and editing pages into a 200-page book, finally publishing it last year.

Book offers a smorgasbord of tastes, places and events
“Eat & Explore Minnesota”: is it a book on recipes? a book on travel? or a book on geography and history? After paging through its 272 pages, I decided it is all of the above and maybe even more.

The Northern Lights is an award-winning show choir from North High which has established a regional reputation for dance, voice and acting. Its spring show is written and produced by students and is a great showcase for their talents onstage and behind the scenes. (submitted photos)

Every May, North High’s Northern Lights Show Choir commemorates the end of its action-packed competition circuit with its annual springtime Extravaganza Show — an original musical theater performance that within a one-month span was written, directed costumed, cast, advertised, choreographed, acted and sung by the choristers themselves.

The title of “Pea Soup and Tomatoes” comes from the words of Scott’s parents. Before the storm, her mother said the sky looked like “pea soup,” while her father said it looked like a tornado was coming. The then two-year-old Scott misheard “tornado” as “tomato.” (submitted photos)

St. Anthony author brings tornado history to life
On May 6, 1965, six of the most violent tornadoes in Minnesota history swept across the Twin Cities area. Throughout the course of “The Longest Night,” as the event came to be called, the tornado outbreak killed thirteen people, injured nearly 700 and caused millions of dollars in damages across the seven-county metro area.

The cover of “Perils of a Polynesian Percussionist” was hand-drawn by author Meg Corrigan and her grandson Logan Broich, 14. Sitting at the drum set is Todd Barlow, a character inspired by Corrigan herself.

True events inspire Meg Corrigan’s new novel
Meg Corrigan has a penchant for picking things up.
She never studied to be a writer. She’s only ever taken three months of drum lessons. And yet somehow she’s managed to transform both of those talents into professions.